Let Go
by selemi
Summary: Made for the "I love you" Challenge. Prompt was the "Leaky Cauldron" and "keys". Pairing is DracoxHermione.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

A/N: This is for an "I love you" Challenge. Prompt: "Leaky Cauldron" and "keys". Pairing is obviously DracoxHermione.

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"Hermione!" Ron yelled angrily. "Keep that bloody beast you call a cat away from Scabbers!"  
"Maybe you should take better care of your pets," Hermione retorted equally angry.  
"That cat has been after Scabbers since you bought him a few days ago!" Ron's face was flushed with anger.  
"He's a _cat,_ Ronald," Hermione snapped. "What do you expect?"  
"Just keep him away or I'll--"  
"You'll what, Ron?" She asked fuming. If looks could kill, Ron would be slit in ribbons and fried.  
Ron mumbled something unintelligable and ran to where his family was boarding in the Leaky Cauldron.

"He..um...he does have a point," Harry said quietly.  
"Oh not you too," Hermione said fed up.  
"Hermione!" Harry called out to her as she ran out the Leaky Cauldron to muggle London.

She rushed through muggle London. She was so angered by Ron's idiocity, she didn't watch where she was going and bumped into someone.

"Sorry, sir," she muttered.  
"Granger?" The person asked incredulously.  
"Malfoy?" She said stunned.  
"I know I'm incredibly handsome and quite the gentleman," he said smirking, "but no need to call me _sir_."  
Hermione's cheeks flushed pink and spat out, "What are you doing in _muggle_ London."  
"I don't mean to stay, I assure you," he stammered out.  
"Then by all means, stop ruining my day with your presence," Hermione said with a smirk to match, maybe even out-do, his.  
"I could say the same thing to you, m_udblood," _he said slyly.  
"A _mudblood_ is someone born of muggle parents, correct?" Hermione asked him, unnerved by the insult. "Also called _muggle borns_?"  
"Er...yeah," he said wondering where she was going with this.  
"And you are a _pureblood_, correct?" She asked him lazily. "Someone born of wizard parents?"  
"Yeah..." He said, truly puzzled with what she was doing.  
"Would calling you a pureblood be an insult?" She asked him while smiling.  
"Of course not," he snapped. "I am a pureblood. My parents are wizards."  
"And I am born of muggles, Malfoy," she said rising to her full height, "I am a muggle born. You choose to say mudblood because you can't get your arragont lips to say the words 'muggle born'. I am not insulted by you, Malfoy. Infact, I _pity_ you."  
"You what?!" He snarled. No mudblood would pity _him, _Draco Malfoy.  
"You are the one who can't even say 'muggle born'," Hermione said tsking. "It's okay Malfoy, everyone has their problems. Maybe with proper help, you'll get through this."  
"You. Are. Nuts." He replied, angry that she was talking to him as she would a young child.  
"Of course, Malfoy," she said, as though reassuring a two year old that Santa really did exist.  
"Granger..." He growled.  
"Malfoy," she replied sweetly.  
"I will prove you wrong," he snarled.  
"Of course you will," Hermione said smiling angelically.  
"You, Hermione Granger, are a muggle born," he said proudly, hands on his hips, his lips in a defiant smirk.  
"What's that Malfoy? I couldn't hear you," Hermione said coolly.  
"YOU ARE A BLOODY MUGGLE BORN!" He yelled.

A few on lookers stared at him and mothers covered the ears of their children.

"Aww, there you go Malfoy, you did it," Hermione said clapping.  
"Why are you so happy?" He asked, "_I _won. _I _proved _you_ wrong."  
"You admitted that I am a muggle-born," Hermione said proudly. "I knew you were capable of calling me a muggle-born."  
Draco looked mortified. "Why you little... I hate you Granger!"  
"I love you, too, Malfoy," she said grinning and with that she ran back into the Leaky Cauldron.

She left behind a dazed Malfoy with a goofy grin. He bent down and picked up something from the ground, dropped by Hermione, and pocketed it. It was his _key_ to talk to Hermione again.

"You seem in a good mood, Hermione," Ron said timidly.  
"No thanks to you," she said sticking her nose up in the air arrogantly.  
"C'mon, can't we just skip to the part where you come around and forgive me?" He pleads. "How many times do I have to ask you?"  
"You haven't even asked me for forgiveness, Ronald!" She said exasperated and left him to retire to her room.

She fumbled through her pockets looking for the key to her room. "Where are those keys," she muttered angrily. She ran downstairs to the bartender, Tom, and asked him if he had seen her keys.

"Miss Granger," he said warily, "I can give you a spare, however, I need you to turn in the old one by the time you leave or pay the fine."  
"Thank you, Tom," she said sighing. She had to go find that key. She couldn't waste her money on paying a fee. She was Hermione Granger, she never lost anything.

Could she have left it Diagon Alley? She went to the back of the bar and tapped her wand on the bricks. She watched awe of the magic pushing the bricks to create an entrance into the magical world. She had been here before, of course, but it never ceased to amaze her. She doubted she'd ever see every piece of Diagon Alley; it was simply to vast. Now, to find that key...

"Draco," Lucius said sharply. "Where have you been?"  
"I was looking at the other shops, Father," he replied, trying not to stammer under his father's careful gaze.  
"Legimens!" His father cried, pointing his wand at his son.  
"No!" Draco cried. He couldn't let his father see that memory, but it flashed before his eyes, unable to stop it.

_He was strolling through Muggle London, taking in the spectacle before him. His eyes shining at how similar the muggle's lives seemed to his. He wasn't watching where he was going and bumped into someone. _

_"Sorry sir," the girl said hastily.  
His heart lept at her voice, it was Hermione. Their whole conversation was played back as though a film for Lucius to watch with hatred. _

_"I love you too, Malfoy." His father felt the giddyness and happiness that Draco felt from those words. _

The spell ended and Draco was on the floor, yelling "No!". He opened his eyes and looked at his father fearfully.

"You have a school-boy crush on that _mudblood_?" His father snarled.  
"N-no father," Draco stammered. "Of course not."  
"You had better not," Lucius said angrily. "If I get any hints that you still have a crush on that wretched mudblood, you will be sorry."  
"Yes, father," Draco said dutifully. His hands clasped the key that Granger had dropped. He held it tightly until the grooves pained his skin.  
"Good," his father said leaving him.

Narcissa rushed to her son's room. The manor was large but she had lived here long enough to navigate it blindfolded.

"Draco," she said gently, knocking on the door.  
"Yes, mother," he said quietly. His mother let herself in.  
"Is it true?" She asked, smiling serenly.  
"It shouldn't be," he said bitterly.  
"Don't let her go, Draco," his mother said softly. "Don't let go like I did so long ago." With that she left his room. She shed a single tear; remembering Remus Lupin.

Hermione first checked the book stores. She retraced her steps, hoping to find the key. Her eyes were glued to the floor, searching for the key. She bumped into someone. She looked up and saw Draco Malfoy.

"Hi," he said shyly.  
"Malfoy?" Hermione asked surprised. His face was so soft, missing his sneer, and tear stains rested on his cheeks.  
"Yes," he said softly.  
"What happened?" Hermione asked stunned.  
"Nothing," he said stiffly. "I was looking for you."  
"Me?"  
"Yes," he replied. "I have your keys. You dropped them."  
"Oh, thank you," she said as he handed the keys to her.  
"You're welcome," he said hollowly.  
"What's wrong?" She asked gently.  
"Nothing," he said bitterly.  
"Hermione!" Ron's voice called.  
"Ron?" Hermione asked both surprised and irratated.  
"Where are you?" His voice called from behind a book shelf.  
She ignored him and said, "I better go before he disrupts the whole store." Malfoy nodded. "Good-bye Malfoy." Again, he nodded; unable to say anything. He watched her wild hair dance away from him.  
"Good-bye, Hermione," he said, his voice cracking, "I love you."

He let her go. She would obviously be happier with the redhead than a son of a deatheater.

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I may have messed up the challenge but it was great for getting over writers block. Review Review Review!


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